"Well for one thing, emergency prep could be way better. You can't predict everything, but the Federation's been caught flat-footed a couple times in my own lifetime by stuff that would've been a hell of a lot smoother if someone had stockpiled resources in case of a disaster." His experience with such a thing is more personal than he'd like, but having the game to focus on - and the effects of the drink - help him keep his voice and hands steady as he lines up another shot. This one goes a little wild, knocking balls around and rearranging their distribution on the table, but accomplishing little else. "Diplomacy's a big one, too. We've been in a kind of cold war with the Romulans and the Klingons for decades now, and rather than try to settle things, it's all just posturing and trying to counter whatever new tech the other side's developed. No one wants to make any real progress."